New England Patriots special-teams coach Cam Achord addressed the struggles of rookie kicker Chad Ryland during a meeting with the media on Tuesday.
Ryland has had a difficult rookie campaign. He has converted only 13-of-20 field goals, but he has converted all 19 of his extra points. He missed a 41-yard field goal on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was his second miss in the last three games.
Adding to the scrutiny is the fact that he was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He was the replacement for Nick Folk, who has missed only one field goal on the year with the Tennessee Titans.
Achord was blunt about his expectations for Ryland, as transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Special teams coordinator Cam Achord on kicker Chad Ryland: Making the FGs in practice to give team confidence, and it’s about taking it from the practice field to the game. pic.twitter.com/8Q9lgNOBxK
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 19, 2023
Ryland undoubtedly still has time and room to grow. However, the struggles have been a theme throughout the course of the season.
